Did you know that Kansas City is actually in Missouri? Like, the main part of it. There‰’s a city in Kansas called Kansas City that is on the other side of the Missouri river from Kansas City, MO, but it‰’s really just a kind of large, residential suburb, with only about 150,000 people who live there.

That makes Wichita, KS, with a population of 386,552, Kansas‰’ biggest city, right in the center of the Heartland State. My parents actually met each other in Wichita in their mid-late 20‰’s, and my dad, at least, hated it. “Happiness is Wichita in the rearview mirror,‰” and “You‰’d love Wichita if you like bars in strip malls‰” was what he had to say about living there in his 20‰’s.

Turns out, however, it really isn‰’t so bad of a place! It‰’s big enough of a city and enough of a regional hub that there are lots of people doing interesting things, but small enough that you can rent a house (yes, a house, usually with a new kitchen,) for about $600 a month. Living in Wichita, you have the time to be in like, five bands, still go to school and have a job. Pretty good if you ask me. Here are some bands worth noting from Wichita, old and new:

The first band from Wichita to ever be on my radar is “gee-boo indie mung twist rock‰Û  Japanese Game Show (note: They no longer play music together). Their album Mathmagicians is an album that I‰’ve always enjoyed. When I was 15, I booked them at a show in Chicago that I wasn‰’t old enough to go to.

The Travel Guide is one of the biggest bands in Wichita right now. A few months ago, I was lucky enough to be able to see them play a show in McPherson, KS, of all places, opening for a band that did a cover of “Hotline Bling‰Û, (it was March, so I guess that song was big then). Either way, it‰’s always a great time, and you may be able to catch them on the road, too. They played the Electric Maid this past June. The Wichita Eagle featured them earlier this year — the video is at the top of the page.

Twin Cities is “classic emo‰” that‰’s now an Iowa City band as well as a Wichita band. They released 22-track Missing Out On Nothing last year.

Team Tremolo is a few members of the Travel Guide and Jenny Wood playing kinda dreamy, atmospheric yet full tunes that you‰’ll be singing the hook to in your head all day. New to the scene, there‰’s no recorded material… Yet. But here‰’s a live video from a few months ago. Do you notice some members in common with the Travel Guide?

Happy holidays and may Sam Brownback bless you on this coming Boxing Day while you partake in your favorite satanic rituals!